Course Substitution
Policies and Procedures - No. 6
Course Substitution
Some students may find some classes or subject areas (e.g. foreign languages and math) more challenging than others due to the nature of the qualifying disability. The college’s first priority is to provide all appropriate accommodations in the class in order to enable the student to complete required course sequences. This requires a cooperative effort of the student, the professor, the DSSO, tutors, and other available resources.
Houston Community College System will consider a course substitution request on a case-by-case basis, based on the student’s strengths and weaknesses as determined by documentation as long as there is no substantial change to the essential elements of the curriculum. Before considering a course substitution, assistive technology, tutoring, or other accommodations will be considered in an effort to enable the student to succeed in standard course work. However, nothing in these guidelines should be interpreted as requiring the student to attempt and fail a course before consideration will be given to a request for course substitution.
The accommodations will be considered at the respective DSSO office with the respective department chair and at the college the students is attending.
- The student must present himself at the DSSO office and provide acceptable documentation.
- DSSO will contact the appropriate department chair and seek the approval of the Academic Dean or the Workforce Dean to determine whether the substitution course would result in a substantial change in the essential elements of the curriculum.
- If it does, the substitution will be denied.
- If it does not, the faculty, dean, and DSSO will, in discussion with the student, determine an appropriate course substitution.
Simply because the student has documentation that the student has a disability in a particular area, a substitution will not automatically be made.
